How word searches work
The autumn list runs from the harvest — pumpkins, an orchard, chestnuts, cider — to the season's textures: foliage, a sweater, a bonfire, a hayride. If you searched for a fall word search you are in the right place; the words are the same either side of the Atlantic even if the season's name is not.
SCARECROW is the longest entry and its double C is unusual enough to catch the eye. PUMPKIN gives you a K to hunt for. RAKE is the short one, and like every four-letter word it will be the last thing you find.
The grid regenerates every time you load the page, so the same theme never gives you the same arrangement twice. Words run in all eight directions including backwards and diagonally, and your fastest completion time for each grid size is saved in your browser.
The autumn word list
| Word | Letters | Notable letters |
|---|---|---|
| HARVEST | 7 | V |
| PUMPKIN | 7 | K |
| SWEATER | 7 | W |
| ACORN | 5 | common letters only |
| FOLIAGE | 7 | common letters only |
| BONFIRE | 7 | common letters only |
| SCARECROW | 9 | W |
| CIDER | 5 | common letters only |
| MAPLE | 5 | common letters only |
| ORCHARD | 7 | common letters only |
| HAYRIDE | 7 | Y |
| CHESTNUT | 8 | common letters only |
| RAKE | 4 | K |
| OCTOBER | 7 | common letters only |
How to find words faster
- Find the longest autumn words first. SCARECROW is the longest entry at 9 letters, and long words have far fewer possible placements than short ones. Clearing them early removes a disproportionate share of the grid.
- Target the uncommon letters in this list. The rare letters present here are K, V, W, Y. Each one appears only a handful of times in the random filler, so finding the letter usually hands you the word.
- Leave RAKE until last. At 4 letters it is the shortest entry, which means it has the most possible positions on the grid and hides best. Short words are always the least efficient thing to hunt first.
- Read every candidate in both directions. Roughly half the placements in any grid are reversed. If an area looks empty, try reading it backwards before moving on.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as a fall word search?
Yes. Autumn and fall are the same season with different names, and the list works for either. It covers the harvest, the weather and the things people do in it.
How many autumn words are hidden?
Fourteen. On the ten by ten grid the longest word may not fit alongside the others, in which case the word list shows only the ones that were placed.
Which autumn word is the hardest?
RAKE. Short, common letters, no anchor. HAYRIDE is surprisingly awkward as well because the Y sits in the middle rather than at an end.